my opinion there is no meanes better or surer to weane man endued with reason from being too much captived or enchained with these pleasures than to consider what benefits redound from moderate Recâ—eâ—tâ—on and againe what inconveniences arise from immoderate delight therein First then let us consider the end for which Recreations were ordained and wee shall finde that they were rather intended to beguile time than to bestow our selves on them all our time Though many too many there be who will not sticke to say with him who sported himselfe in the warme Sunne Vtinam hoc esset vivere would to God this were to live would to God this Recreation were a Vocation this pleasure my trade forever No as Recreation was at first intended for refreshing the minde and enabling the body to performe such offices as are requisite to bee performed so is it not to bee made a Trade or profession as if we should there set up our rest and intend nothing else Consider therefore the Benefits which redound by a moderate or temperate use of Recreation FIrst it refresheth or cherisheth the minde accommodating it to all studies clearing the understanding which would be easily depressed if either with worldly cares or more noble and generous studies wholly restrained It is said of Asinius Pollio that after the tenth houre he would be retained in no businesse neither after that houre would he reade so much as any Letter Of Cato likewise that he used to refresh his minde with wine the like of Solon and Archesilaus that they would usually cheere their spirits with wine yet whosoever should object drunkennesse to Cato might sooner prove that crime honest than Cato dishonest So as whether we beleeve the Greeke Poet It is sometimes pleasing to be a little madding or Plato who in vaine expulsed Poets the bounds of his Common-weale or Aristotle That there can never be any great wit without some mixture of folly we shall finde that even the gravest and most experienced Statists have sometimes retired themselves from more serious affaires to refresh and solace their tired spirits with moderate recreations The Poet excellently describes a man buried in the deepe slumber of contemplation after this manner He dies pent up with studie and with care So were the Anchorites and Hermites in former time being wholly divided from societie yea so immured as they seemed to be buried living Whose conversation as questionlesse it argued a great mortification of all mundane desires so it ministred matter of admiration to such who given to carnall libertie wondred how men made of earth could be so estranged from conversing with inhabitants of earth But to leave these and imagine their conversation to be in heaven though their habitation was on earth we perceive hence how beneficiall Recreation is to the minde in cheering solacing and refreshing her if used with moderation How it lessens those burdens of cares wherewith shee is oppressed revives the spirits as if from death restored cleares the understanding as if her eyes long time shut were now unsealed and quickens the invention by this sweet respiration as if newly moulded Neither is this Benefit so restrained as if it extended onely to the minde for it conferres a Benefit likewise to the bodie by enabling it to performe such labours Taskes or Offices as it is to be imployed or exercised withall There are two proverbs which may be properly applied to this purpose Once in the yeare Apollo laughes this approves the use of moderate Recreation Apollo's Bow 's not alwayes bent this shewes that humane imployments are to be seasoned by Recreation wee are sometimes to unbend the bow or it will lose his strength Continuall or incessant imployment cannot be endured there must be some intermission or the bodie becomes enfeebled As for example observe these men who either encombred with worldly affairs so tye and tether themselves to their businesse as they intermit no time for effecting that which they goe about or such as wholly nayled to their Deske admit no time for Recreation lest they should thereby hinder the progresse of their studies See how pale and meager they looke how sickly and infirme in the state of their bodies how weake and defective in their constitution So as to compare one of these weaklings with such an one as intermits occasions of businesse rather than he will prejudice his health 〈◊〉 serving times as well for recreation and pleasure as for imployment and labour were to present a spectacle of Iuius Dwarfe not two foot high and weighing but seventeene pound with a Rhinoceros Tiger or Serpent of fiftie cubits long such difference in proportion such ods in strength of constitution For observe one of these starved worldlings whose aimes are onely to gather and number without doing either themselves or others good with that they gather with what a sallow and earthy complexion they looke being turned all earth before they returne to earth And what may be the cause hereof but their incessant care of getting their continuall desire of gaining being ever gaping till their mouthes be filled with gravell So these who are wholly given and solely devoted to a private or retired life how unlike are they to such as use and frequent societie For their bodies as they are much weakned and enfeebled so is the heat and vigour of their spirits lessened and resolved yea their dayes for most part shortned and abridged the cause of all which proceedeth from a continuall secludiâ—g and dividing themselves from company and use of such Recreations as all creatures in their kinde require and observe For if we should have recourse to creatures of all sorts wee shall finde every one in his kinde observe a recreation or refreshment in their nature As the Beast in his chace the Bird in her choice the Snaile in her speckled case the Polypus in her change yea the Dolphin is said to sport and play in the water For as all things were created for Gods pleasure so hath he created all things to recreate and refresh themselves in their owne nature Thus farre have wee discoursed of moderate recreation and of the benefits which redound from it being equally commodious to the minde as well as the body the body as well as the minde to the minde in refreshing cherishing and accommodating it to all studies to the understanding in clearing it from the mists of sadnesse so the body in enabling it for the performance of such labours tasks or offices as it is to be imployed or interessed in It now rests that wee speake something of her opposite to wit of immoderate recreation and the inconveniences which arise from thence whereof wee shall but need to speake a word or two and so descend to more usefull points touching this Observation AS the wind Caecias drawes unto it clouds so doth immoderate recreation draw unto it divers and sundry maine inconveniences for this immoderation
so much lamented for that is of necessitie and therefore exacts no teares of sorrow being if spent as fruitlesse as the doome reverselesse but their sudden or inopinate departure Whereto I answer that no death is sudden to him that dies well for sudden death hath properly a respect rather to the life how it was passed or disposed than to death how short his summons were or how quickly clozed Io. Mathes preaching upon the raising up of the womans sonne of Naim by Christ within three houres afterward died himselfe The like is written of Luther and many others As one was choaked with a flie another with a haire a third pushing his foot against the tressall another against the threshold falls downe dead So many kinde of wayes are chalked out for man to draw towards his last home and weane him from the love of earth Those whom God loves saith Menander die young yea those whom hee esteemeth highest hee takes from hence the soonest And that for two causes the one is to free them the sooner from the wretchednesse of earth the other to crowne them the sooner with Happinesse in Heaven For what gaine wee by a long life or what profit reape wee by a tedious Pilgrimage but that wee partly see partly suffer partly commit more evils Priamus say more dayes and shed more teares than Troilus Let us hence then learne so to measure our sorrow for ought that may or shall befall us in respect of the bodie that after her returne to earth it may be gloriously re-united to the soule to make an absolute Consort in Heaven Thirdly and lastly for the goods or blessings of Fortune they are not to command us but to be commanded by us not to be served by us but to serve us And because hee onely in the affaires of this life is the wealthiest who in the desires of this life is the neediest and he the richest on earth who sees little worth desiring on earth we are so to moderate our desires as I have formerly touched in respect of those things we have not that wee may labour to over-master our desires in thirsting after more than we already have likewise so to temper and qualifie our affections in respect of those things we have as to shew no immoderate sorrow for the losse of those we have but to be equally minded as well in the fruition of those wee have as privation of those we have not For of all others there is no sorrow baser nor unworthier than that which is grounded on the losse of Oxe or Cow or such inferiour subjects Neither incurre they any lesse opinion of folly who carried away with the love of their Horse Hound or some such creature use for some prize or conquest got to reare in their memory some Obeliske or Monument graced with a beauteous inscription to preserve their fame because poore beasts they have nothing to preserve themselves for howsoever this act seeme to have some correspondence with gratitude labouring only to grace them who have graced us rearing a stone to perpetuate their fame who memoriz'd our Name by speed of foot yet is it grosse and so palpable to those whose discretion is a moulder of all their actions as they account it an act worthier the observation of an Heathen than a Christian. Cimon buried his Mares bestowing upon them specious Tombs when they had purchased credit in the swift races of the Olympiads Xanâ—ippus bewailed his Dogs death which had followed his master from Calamina Alexander erected a Citie in the honour of Bucephalus having beene long defended by him in many dangerous battels And the Asse may well among the Heathen be adorned with Lillies Violets and Garlands when their Goddesse Vesta by an Asses bray avoided the rape of Priapus But howsoever these actions among Pagans might carry some colour of thankfulnesse rewarding them by whose speed fury agilitie or some other meanes they have beene as well preserved as honoured yet with Christians whose eyes are so clearely opened and by the light divine so purely illumined would these seeme acts of prophanenesse ascribing honour to the creature to whom none is due and not to the Creator to whom all honour is solely and properly due In briefe let us so esteeme of all â—he goods and gifts of Fortune as of Vtensils fit for our use and service but of the Supreme good as our chiefest Soâ—ace For he who subjected all things to the feet of man that man might be wholly subject unto him and that man might be wholly his he gave man dominion over all those workes of his so he created all outward things for the bodie the bodie for the soule but the soule for him that shee might only intend him and only love him possessing him for solace but inferiour things for service Thus farre Gentlemen hath this present discourse inlarged it selfe to expresse the rare and incomparable effects which naturally arise from the due practice of Moderation being indeed a vertue so necessary and well deserving the acquaintance of a Gentleman who is to be imagined as one new come to his lands and therefore stands in great need of so discreet an Attendant as there is no one vertue better sorting his ranke not only in matters of preferment profit or the like but in matters of reputation or personall ingagement where his very name or credit is brought to the tesh Looke not then with the eye of scorne on such a follower but take these instructions with you for a fare-well Doth Ambition buzze in your eare motions of Honour This faithfull Attendant Moderation will disswade you from giving way to these suggestions and tell you Ambition is the high road which leads to ruine but Humilitie is the gate which opens unto glory Doth Covetousnesse whisper to you matters of profit Here is one will tell you the greatest wealth in the world is to want the desires of the world Doth Wantonnesse suggest to you motives of Delight Here is that Herbe of Grace which will save you from being wounded and salve you already wounded In briefe both your expence of Time and Coine shall bee so equally disposed as you shall never need to redeeme Time because you never prodigally lost it nor repent your fruitlesse expence of Coine because you never profusely spent it Thus if you live you cannot chuse but live for ever for ever in respect of those choice vertues which attend you for ever in respect of your good Example moving others to imitate you And for ever in respect of that succeeding glory which shall crowne you THE ENGLISH GENTLEMAN Argument Of Perfection Contemplative and Active The Active preferred Wherein it consisteth Of the absolute or Supreme end whereto it aspireth and wherein it resteth PERFECTION WE are now to treat of a Subject which while we are here on earth is farre easier to discourse of than to finde for Perfection is not absolute in this life but
is And therefore Prudentius in one of his Hymnes give this memorandum Thinke with thy selfe if thou from sin would free thee Be 't day or night that God doth ever see thee O then let us fix our thoughts upon God here on earth that we may gloriously fix our eyes upon him in heaven Let us so meditate of him here on earth that wee may contemplate him there in heaven So repent us to have dishonoured him here on earth that wee may be honoured by him in heaven Let us become humble Petitioners unto him and prostrate our selves before his foot-stoole of whom if we begge life his hand is not so shortâ—ed as it will not save his eare so closely stopped as it will not heare it is reported that when a poore man came to Dionysius the Tyrant and preferred his petition unto him standing the imperious Tyrant would not give eare unto him whereupon this poore Petitioner to move him to more compassion fell downe prostrate at his feet and with much importunity obtained his suit after all this being demanded by one why he did so I perceived quoth he Dionysius to have his eares in his feet wherefore I was out of hope to be heard till I fell before his feet But God who intendeth rather the devotion of the heart than the motion of the hand or prostration of the bodie will heare us if wee aske faithfully and open unto us if wee knocke constantly and having fought a good fight crowne us victoriously Thus you have heard what we are to seeke where we are to seeke and when we are to seeke What a Kingdome not of earth but of heaven Where not on earth nor in earth but in heaven When while we are here on earth that after earth we may reigne in heaven What a Garden inclosed a Spring shut up a Fountaine sealed What a crowne of righteousnesse a precious pearle a hid treasure What wisdome health wealth beautie libertie and all through him who is all in all Aristippus was wont to say that he would goe to Socrates for wit but to Dionysius for money whereas this we seeke and seeking hope to enjoy confers upon us the rich treasures of wisdome and abundance of riches for evermore For first seeke we the kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and all things else shall be ministred unto us Secondly where wee are to seeke Where in Heaven the House of God the Citie of the great King the inheritance of the just the portion of the faithfull the glory of Sion Where not without us but within us for the kingdome of God is within us So as I may say to every faithfull soule Intus habes quod quaeris That is within thee which is sought of thee It is God thou seekest and him thou possessest thy heart longeth after him and right sure thou art of him for his delight is to be with those that love him Lastly when on earth when in this life when while we are in health while we are in those Tabernacles of clay while we carry about us these earthen vessels while we are cloathed with flesh before the evill day come or the night approach or the shadow of death encompasse us now in the opportunate time the time of grace the time of redemption the appointed time while our peace may be made not to deferre from youth to age lest wee be prevented by death before we come to age but so to live every day as if we were to die every day that at last we may live with him who is the length of dayes What remaineth then but that wee conclude the whole Series or progresse of this Discourse with an Exhortation to counsell you an instruction to caution you closing both in one Conclusion to perswade you to put in daily practice what already hath beene tendred to you Now Gentlemen that I may take a friendly farewell of you I am to exhort you to a course Vertuous which among good men is ever held most Generous Let not O let not the pleasures of sinne for a season withdraw your mindes from that exceeding great weight of glory kept in store for the faithfull after their passage from this vale of misery Often call to minde the riches of that Kingdome after which you seeke those fresh Pastureâ— fragrant Medows and redolent Fields diapred and embrodered with sweetest and choicest flowers those blessed Citizens heavenly Saints and Servants of God who served him here on earth faithfully and now raigne with him triumphantly Let your Hearts be enditers of a good matter and your voices viols to this heavenly measure O how glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God as the habitation of all that rejoyce is in thee Thou art founded on the exaltation of the whole earth There is in thee neither old-age nor the miserie of old-age There is in thee neither maime nor lame nor crooked nor deformed seeing all attaine to the perfect man to that measure of age or fulnesse of Christ. Who would not become humble Petitioner before the Throne of grace to be made partaker of such an exceeding weight of glory Secondly to instruct you where this Crowne of righteousnesse is to be sought it is to be sought in the House of God in the Temple of the Lord in the Sanctuary of the most High O doe not hold it any derogation to you to be servants yea servants of the lowest ranke even Doore-keepers in the House of the Lord Constantine the Great gloried more in being a member of the Church than the Head of an Empire O then let it be your greatest glory to advance his glory who wil make you vessels of glory But know that to obey the delights of the flesh to divide your portion among Harlots to drinke till the wine grow red to make your life a continued revell is not the way to obtaine this Crowne Tribulation must goe before Consolation you must clime up to the Crosse before you receive this Crowne The Israelites were to passe thorow a Desart before they came to Canaan This Desart is the world Canaan heaven O who would not be here afflicted that he may be there comforted Who would not be here crossed that he may be there crowned Who would not with patience passe thorow this Desart onely in hope to come to Canaan Canaan the inheritance of the just Canaan the lot of the righteous Canaan a fat Land flowing with milke and honey Canaan an Habitation of the most holy Canaan a place promised to Abraham Canaan the bosome of Father Abraham even Heaven but not the heaven of heaven to which even the earth itselfe is the very Empyraean heaven for this is heaven of heaven to the Lord because knowne to none but to the Lord. Thirdly and lastly that I may conclude and concluding perswade you neglect not this opportunate time of grace that is now
this Display of youthfull vanity is his Looke wherein hee is ever noted to shew a kinde of contempt expressing by his eye what he conceives in his heart Here is oculatus testis an eye-witnesse to tax him of his pride disdaining to fix his eye upon the lower shrubs as if a reflex on them should derogate from his glory They that looked upon Sylla's ring could not choose but take notice both of Sylla's seale and the treason of Iugurth so he that should but eye a proud Look could not choose but collect from what heart so disdainfull a Looke proceeded I have ever observed the most generous to be least affective in this kinde for it is and hath beene ever an inherent propriety in them to expresse a generous affability as well in Looke as Speech The eyes saith a good Father are members of the flesh but windowes of the minde which Eagle-like should be ever erected to the beames of righteousnesse and not depressed by any unworthy object of externall basenesse The only Sight of God is the true food and refection of our minds we look to be satisfied but satisfaction we cannot finde in any outward object much lesse in contempt of our poore brother who many times exceeds us more in worth than we him in birth But tell me Young Gallant what it is that moveth thee to this contempt of others Is it thy descent alas that is none of thine thou derivest that glory from thine Ancestors whose honour by thy vertues as it liveth so obscured by thy ignoble life dieth Yea recall to minde how many glorious Houses now lye buried in the grave of oblivion by the vicious course of irregular Successours and again how many Houses whose Names formerly were not so much as knowne either raised from others ruine or advanced by industrious merit usurpe their glory Is it thy Riches Indeed if the Philosophers axiom bee true Riches is a signe of eternall glory there were some reason to glory in them but we shall finde this glory meerely imaginary yea a great darkner and blemisher of the internall glorie and beautie of the minde For as the Moone doth never eclypse but when she is at the full so the Minde is never so much obscured as it is with the superfluitie of Riches And againe as the Moone is farthest off from the Sunne which giveth it light when it is at the full so a Man when he is the fullest of Riches is farthest off from that equitie and justice which ought to give him light in all his proceedings And therefore he might doe well herein to imitate the Fly which putteth not her feet in the great masse of honey but only taketh and tasteth with her tongue so much thereof as serveth her turne and no more lest by doing otherwise she might remaine taken and drowned therein Yea if we should but reflect and take a view of certaine Ethnicks whose â—dmirable contempt of Riches eternized them wee should observe what inimitable continencie was in them and what an Hydropticke thirst of avarice remaineth as yet unquenched in us And though we must live according to Lawes and not to Examples yet Cicero held that nought could be taught without example wherefore to enforce this argument further wee will here produce certaine Heathens who contemned Riches so much as being offered yea obtruded they would not accept them Anacharses refused the treasure sent him by Croesus Anacreontes refused the treasure sent him by Polycrates and Albionus refused the treasure sent him by Antigonus The like moderation we reade in Fabius Maxim Crates Mimus and most of the Greeke Philosophers This indifferencie towards Fortune is excellently described by the sententious Seneca concluding Nihil eripit fortuna nisi quod ipsa dedit To insist on more examples were to enlarge this branch too much we will therefore shut them all up with that divine observation of the wise Simonides who being asked once whether Vertue or Riches were of more reputation made answer That the vertuous did more frequent the doores of the rich than the rich the vertuous Thence inferring that Wealth was a great nourisher of Vice and Povertie of Vertue or rather implying how those who are richest are oft-times the retchlest being evâ—r with vices more infected who are to highest fortunes advanced Wherefore I assure me thou wilt not glory in riches for they deprave the Soule which should be in the Body like a Queene in her Palace Whence then proceedeth this haughty Looke perchance thou wilt object that thou art a man of Place admit thou beest is there nothing thou canst finde to expresse the eminence or greatnesse of thy Place to which thou art called save a disdainfull or surly Looke â— neglectfull or scornefull countenance contemptuously throwne upon thy inferiour Surely if such an one thou be how great so ere thou be I will admire rather thy Seat than thy Selfe and conclude with Aristippus A stone sits upon a stone These are they at whom our Moderne Poet glanced pleasantly when he saith They dare not smile beyond a point for feare t' unstarch their Looke So punctuall and formall they are as besides a kinde of formall and phantasticke humour they are nothing or to expresse them better They thinke it a derogation to honour to converse with basenesse They shew a great deale of peremptory command in an awfull Looke imagining it a sufficient argument of greatnesse for Midas Asse to have Minos countenance For thus hath Time drawne out their formes to me They be and seeme not seeme what least they be Since then neither Descent for that is derived from others nor riches aptest to deprave us of all others nor place being worst expressed in glorifying our selues and contemning others should move us to put on the countenance of disdaine to our inferiours we are to conclude that Humilitie as it opens the gate unto glory so Affabilitie a vertue right worthy of every generous minde cannot be better planted than in the eyes those Centinels which guard us those two Lights which direct us those adamantine Orbes which attâ—act affection to us A face erected first to man was given T' erect his eyes unto the King of heaven Let not then any other object entertaine it at least not retaine it if they be to be employed in any worldly object let them be employed in contemplating his workes who made the world for all other objects are but meere vanitie and affliction of spirit THe third Subject we are to discourse of is Speech a proprietie wherein Man is distinguished from other creatures yea the only meanes to preserve societie among humane creatures Quantâ—meliuâ— est docere quà m loqui tanto melior est quà m verba locutio saith S. Augustine By how much better it is to teach than to speake by so much better is Speech than words Here this learned Father maketh a maine difference betwixt Speech and Words which
in May-games profest lovers of all sensuall pleasures That Roman Curtezan Semphronia was noted for her singing sporting and dancing wherein shee laboured to shew more art than became a modest woman with other motives of Licentiousnesse But in my opinion there is no one meanes to sift out the Disposition of Man better than by noting how he beares himselfe in passion which is of that violence as many times it discovers him though his purpose was to walke never so covertly from the eye of popular observance Should we have recourse to the lives of sundry Tyrants whose outward appearance or semblance promised much goodnesse we might finde sufficient matter to confirme this argument Some whereof as Tiberius so commonly carried and covered their plots as none could dive into their thoughts pretending ever most smoothnesse when they intended a tempest Yet if at any time as it befell many times their Spirits became netled or incensed so farre did passion transport them as they apparantly expressed their Natures without further Character Other discoveries may be made and those are the manifestest of all how men are affected or disposed when they are least themselves and this is with griefe I speake it for too highly doth Albion labour of it when Man losing indeed that Name at least his Nature becomes estranged from the use of reason by drowning his understanding with drunkennesse In high Germanie the parents of such children as should be married will see those which should be their sonnes in law to be drunke before them to see what Disposition they are of before they marrie their children unto them For they imagine if they be subject to any especiall vice they will then discover it having no Locke to keepe it secret Yet in this there are different humours which reigne and rage according to the Disposition of the person subject unto it as we shall see one lumpish without all conceit another jocund and merry apt for any conceit one weeping as if some disastrous fortune had befallen him another laughing 〈◊〉 if some merry Scene were presented him We reade of two distinct conditions in Philip and Alexander when they were in drinke for the one shewed his rage and furie towards his foes the other to his friends the one whereof participates of more true generous spirit than the other For as nothing can be imagined more ignoble than to triumph over our friend so nothing relisheth of more resolution than to shew our spirit so it be upon equall termes and without braving upon our Enemie But would you indeed see the disposition of Man truly discovered and the veile which kept him from sight cleare taken away Then come to him when he is advanced to place of honour or esteeme for Promotions declare what men be and there you shall finde him pourtrayed to life Galba was esteemed in the opinion of all fit to governe till he did governe Many have an excellent gift of concealing and shadowing which giveth grace to any picture so long as they are obscure and private but bring them to a place of more eminent note and give a lustre to their obscuritie you shall view them as perfectly as if their Bodies were transparant or windowes were in their bosomes Here you shall see One unmeasurably haughtie scorning to converse with these Groundlins for so it pleases him to tearme his inferiours and bearing such a state as if he were altered no lesse in person than place Another not so proud as he is covetous for no passion as a learned Schooleman affirmeth is better knowne unto us than the coveting or desiring passion which he calls Concupiscible and such an one makes all his inferiours his Sponges and Ostridge-like can digest all metalls Another sort there are whose well-tempered natures have brought them to that perfection as the state which they presently enioy makes them no more proud than the losse of that they possesse would cast them downe These Camillus-like are neither with the opinion of Honour too highly erected nor with the conceit of Affliction too much deiected As their conceits are not heightned by possessing it so they lose nothing of their owne proper height by forgoing it These are so evenly poized so nobly tempered as their opinion is not grounded on Title nor their glory on popular esteeme they are knowne to themselves and that knowledge hath instructed them so well in the vanitie of Earth as their thoughts have taken flight vowing not to rest till they approach heaven Pompey being combred with his Honour exclaimed to see Sylla's crueltie being ignorant after what sort to behave himselfe in the dignitie he had and cried out O perill and danger never like to have end Such is the nature of Noble spirits as they admire not so much the dignitie of the place to which they are advanced as they consider the burden which is on them imposed labouring rather how to behave themselve in their place than arrogate glory to themselves by reason of their place Neither are these sundrie Dispositions naturally ingraffed in men meerely produced from themselves as the affections or Dispositions of our mindes doe follow the temperature of our bodies where the Melancholy produceth such the Cholericke Phlegmaticke and Sanguine such and such according to Humours predominant in that body whence these affections are derived but I say these participate also of the Clime wherein we are For otherwise how should our Observations appeare good which we usually collect in the Survey of other Countries noting certaine vices to be most entertained in some especiall Provinces As Pride among the Babylonians Envie among the Iewes Anger among the Thebans Covetousnesse among the Tyrians Gluttonie among the Sidonians Pyracie among the Cilicians and Sorcerie among the Aegyptians to whom Caesar gave great attention as Alexander was delighted in â—he Brachmans So as I say our Dispositions how different or consonant soever doe not only partake of us but even of the Aire or temperature of Soile which bred us Thus we see what Diversitie of Dispositions there is and how diversly they are affected Let us now take a view of the Disposition it selfe whether it may be forced or no from what it naturally affecteth THe Philosopher saith that the Disposition may be removed but hardly the Habit. But I say those first Seeds of Disposition as they are Primitives can hardly be made Privatives being so inherent in the Subject as they may be moved but not removed Not removed objectest thou Why Disposition can be of no stronger reluctance than Nature and wee see how much shee may be altered yea cleare removed from what she formerly appeared For doe we not in the view of humane frailtie observe how many excellent wits drained from the very Quintessence of Nature as apt in apprehending as expressing a conceit strangely darkned or dulled as if they had beene steeped in some Lethaean slumber Nay doe we not in
who saw you you shall be plenteously rewarded by him whose eyes are ever upon you or fasted without hanging downe your heads to cause men observe you you shall feast with him who will erect your heads and with glory crowne you or performed works of charity for conscience sake and not for vain-glory your workes shall goe before you and be accounted for righteous through him who shall cloath you with glory or not too Pharisaically prided your selves in your owne integrity you shall become justified with the Publican and admitted to honour by humility or ascribed to your selves shame and to God the glory God shall wipe off your shame and bring you to the full fruition of his glory or heartily wished to bee deprived of all hope of glory rather than by your meanes to detract in any wise from Gods glory your desire of advancing Gods glory shall after your passage from this vale of misery estate you in the inheritance of glory Againe have ye heard with patience such as revile you Have ye answered them as he did who being accused by his enemie of one sinne accused him likewise of ignorance saying Thou accusest mee of one when I am guiltie of a thousand Have ye not stood upon termes of reputation but with patience suffered all disgraces Have ye overcome your enemie with mildnesse taken revenge on him by your vertue and goodnesse Fortified your selves against all calumnie with the spirit of patience O then right blessed are you for having heard with patience such as revile you an eternall blessing is pronounced on you or having beene as ready to condemne your selves as others to accuse you your purged conscience shall freely acquit you or not stood on termes of reputation when men disgrac'd you you shall be graced in heaven where no disgrace shall touch you or overcome your enemy with mildnesse the milde Lambe shall crowne you with happinesse or taken revenge on him by your vertue and goodnesse you shall be refreshed with the fountaine of sweetnesse or fortified your selves against all calumnie with the spirit of patience with Palmes in your hands shall yee sing with joyfulnesse Gather O gather hence with ineffable Solace is conferred on the patient whatsoever hee suffer here shall in superabundant measure be recompenced else-where But it may be objected that some aspersions are not to be borne with for those scandals which are laid upō our persons where our faith is not taxed or touched may be more easily endured but where these are struck at they are not to be suffered To confirme which we reade how Peter and Iohn having by prayer and imposition of hands given the holy Ghost and Simon the Sorcerer saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands the holy Ghost was given he offered them money saying Give mee also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the holy Ghost But Peter incensed herewith said unto him Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money Whence it appeareth that out of a holy zeale one may shew passion towards such as detract from the honour of God or asperse a blemish upon his servants in the worke of their ministerie The like wee reade of Paul that glorious vessell of election conceiving much indignation against one who had withstood the word saying Alexander the Copper-smith did mee much evill the Lord reward him according to his workes The reason is inclusively annexed of whom be thou ware also for he hath greatly withstood our words The like spirit of zeale might Iames and Iohn be said to be of who when they saw that the Samaritanes would not receive Christ said Lord wilt thou that wee command fire to come downe from heaven and consume them even as Elias did But how this passion of theirs was approved may appeare by the ensuing verse But he turned and rebuked them and said Yee know not what manner of spirit yee are of Now to cleare this objection there is no Patterne which wee ought sooner to imitate than Christ himselfe who is the master of truth and directeth us in all truth who as hee was most blamelesse of all others for in his mouth was never guile found yet was he in his owne person more blamed in his doctrine more reproved in his miracles more injured than all others for one while he is accused to have a Devill anon that he casteth out Devils through the prince of the Devils anon that he is a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners Yet what answer vouchsafed he unto all these save only this Wisdome is justified of her children Now I know there are differences of Scandals or aspersions where some leave deeper impression than others doe for as the name is more precious than any earthly substance so it receiveth the deepest staine when the estimation of our faith is questioned being the very maine foundation whereon all religion is grounded and the perfection of that building which makes a Christian rightly accomplishd Saint Basil could shew himselfe calme enough in his conference with the Emperour till a Cooke came in and saucily told him he did not well to stand so precisely upon such small matters but rather to yeeld to his master the Emperour in a word or two for what were those divine affaires whereon hee so much insisted but such as with indifferencie might be dispensed But what answered this reverend Father Yea Sir Cooke quoth he it is your part to tend your pottage and not to boile and chop up divine matters which as they little trouble you so in weight and consequence are farre above you And then with great gravitie turning to the Emperour said that those that were conversant in divine matters which were principally to be intended would with conscience rather suffer death than suffer one jot of holy Scripture much lesse an article of faith to be altere◠or corrupted Another holy man though most innocent could endure to be accounted a whoremaster an uncleane person and the like but when one called him an Heretike he could beare no longer so neere be wee touched when our faith is questioned But as we have a noble and glorious Patterne who shewed himselfe a Conquerour in his suffering let us wrastle with flesh and bloud that suffering all things for him and with him wee may after our conquest joy in him and with him And let this be sufficient to have beene spoken of Mortification in respect of our name or esteeme in the world labouring daily to dis-value and huminate our selves while wee are in the world If it be no great thing to leave our substance but our selves let us at least leave our substance that wee may the better enjoy our selves It was the wise exhortation of the wisest of Princes Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all
noting his errour It is not your Hen that is lost but your Citie Roma that is taken by Alaricus King of the Gothes Wherewith comming a little to himselfe he seemed to beare with much more paâ—ience the surprize of the one than the losse of the other O childish simplicity you say well yet the like is in us We cannot endure that any one should steale from us our silver yet either honour riches or pleasure may have free leave to steale away our heart We would by no meanes be defrauded of our treasure yet it troubles us little to be depraved with errour We avoid the poisons of the body but not of the minde intending more the diet of the body than the discipline of the minde Since then in these externall desires this Actuall Perfection whereof we have formerly treated may receive no true rest or repose for to those it only aspireth wherin it resteth wee must search higher for this place of peace this repose of rest this heavenly Harbour of divine comfort we are to seeke it then while we are here upon earth yet not on earth would you know what this soveraigne or absolute end is wherein this Actuall Perfection solely resteth wherein the Heart only glorieth and to the receiver long life with comfort in abundance amply promiseth Hearken to the words of Iesus the Sonne of Sirach It is a great glory to follow the Lord and to be received of him is long life Nor skils it much how worldlings esteeme of us for perhaps they will judge it folly to see us become weaned from delights or pleasures of the world to see us embrace a rigorous or austere course of life to dis-esteem the pompe and port of this present world This I say they will account foolishnesse But blessed are they who deserve to be of that number which the world accounts for fooles God for wise men But miserable is the state of these forlorne worldlings whose chiefest aime is to circumvent or intrap their brethren making their highest aymes their owne ends and accounting bread eaten in secret to be the savourest and stolne waters the sweetest for these never drinke of their own Cisterne or feed of the flesh of their owne fold but partake in the spoile of others yet wipe their mouths as if they were innocent but behold this Haman-policy shall make them spectacles of finall misery wishing many times they had been lesse wise in the opinion of the world so they had relished of that divine wisdome which makes-man truly happy in another world even that wisdome I say who hath built an everlasting foundation with men and shall continue with their seed neither can this divine wisdome chuse but be fruitfull standing on so firme a root or the branches dry receiving life and heat from so faire a root Now to describe the beauty of her branches springing from so firme a root with the solidity of her root diffusing pith to her branches The root of wisdome saith the wise Son of Sirach is to feare the Lord and the branches thereof are long life This feare where it takes root suffers no worldly feare to take place Many worldlings become wretched only through feare lest they should be wretched and many die only through feare lest they should die but with these who are grounded in the feare of the Lord they neither feare death being assured that it imposeth an end to their misery nor the miseries of this present life being ever affied on the trust of Gods mercie How constantly zealously and gloriously many devout men have died and upon the very instant of their dissolution expostulated with their owne soules reproving in themselves their unwillingnesse to die may appeare by the examples of such whose lives as they were to God right pleasing so were their soules no lesse precious in their departing upon some whereof though I have formerly insisted yet in respect that such memorable Patteâ—nes of sanctity cannot be too often represented I thought good purposely as usually I have done in all the Series of this present Discourse where any remarkable thing was related to have it in divers places repeated to exemplifie this noble resolution or contempt of death in the proofe and practice of some one or two blessed Saints and Servants of God Ierome writeth of Hilarion that being ready to give up the ghost he said thus to his soule Goe forth my soule why fearest thou Goe forth why tremblest thou Thou hast served Christ almost those threescore and ten yeares and doest thou now feare death Saint Ambrose when he was readie to die speaking to Stillico and others about his bed I have not lived so among you saith he that I am ashamed to live longer to please God and yet againe I am not afraid to die because we have a good Lord. The reverend Bede whom wee may more easily admire than sufficiently praise for his profound learning in a most barbarous age when all good literature was in contempt being in the pangs of death said to the standers by I have so lived among you that I am not ashamed of my life neither feare I to die because I have a most gracious Redeemer He yeelded up his life with this prayer for the Church O King of glory Lord of Hostes which hast triumphantly ascended into heaven leave us not fatherlesse but send the promised Spirit of thy truth amongst us These last funerall Teares or dying mens Hymnes I have the rather renued to your memory that they might have the longer impression being uttered by dying men at the point of their dissolution And I know right well for experience hath informed me sufficiently therein that the words of dying men are precious even to strangers but when the voice of one we love and with whom we did familiarly live calls to us from the Death-bed O what a conflict doe his words raise How strongly doe griefe and affection strive to inclose them knowing that in a short space that tongue the organs whereof yet speak and move attention by their friendly accents was to be eternally tied up in silence nor should the sound of his words salute our eares any more and certainly the resolution of a devout dying man being upon the point of his dissolution cannot but be an especiall motive to the hearer of Mortification Which was one cause even among the Heathens of erecting Statues Obelisks or Monuments upon the Dead that eying the Sepulchres of such noble and heroick men as had their honour laid in the dust they might likewise understand that neither resolution of spirit nor puissance of body could free them from the common verdict of mortalitie which begot in many of them a wonderfull contempt of the world Albeit it is to be understood that Christians doe contemne this world much otherwise than Pagans for ambition is a guide to these but the love of